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What can other people with access to your secure wireless network see of your data?

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  • 02-06-2011 6:45pm
    #1
    WaterWolf
    Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭


    I understand that if you are connected to an unsecured wireless network then anyone else on that network can see all your web traffic. But how does it work on a secure network when another person knows the password?

    E.g. There are two laptops that both have access to the same wireless router that is configured with WPA2 security. What can the two laptops see of each others traffic?


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    #2
    Spear
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 25,240 CMod ✭✭✭✭Spear


    If they have the encryption key, then can just snoop the traffic and decrypt it.


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    #3
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireshark
    http://www.wireshark.org/about.html


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    #4
    mickoneill30
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭mickoneill30


    WaterWolf wrote: »
    E.g. There are two laptops that both have access to the same wireless router that is configured with WPA2 security. What can the two laptops see of each others traffic?

    A device on your subnet can sniff your traffic. Simply put that means that they can see all the traffic that is going to your PC and copy it. That doesn't mean they can decrypt it.

    If you're using https then the traffic between you and the server at the other end is encrypted. Gmail, your bank, most sites that ask for credit card numbers use https.
    Many people can intercept this traffic but it's no use to them. If it's encrypted they can't just decrypt it. If they could then encryption would be a bit pointless. There are ways even around that if the person on your subnet is knowledgeable enough. But by knowledgeable enough I mean expert (not somebody who just thinks they know about computers). If they're not expert then don't worry about it. If they are, and you don't trust them, then get them off your network.


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    #5
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 91,207 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    with a promiscuous sniffer they can see ALL non-encrypted traffic.
    ie. wireshark / windump etc.

    lookup firesheep

    use https everywhere since many sites like gmail and facebook will failback to plain text if the network is slow ( the authorities used this in North Africa to ID people , simply turned off port 443 and saw loads )


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